The present invention relates to an image printing control apparatus and an image printing control method capable of establishing a direct connection with a printing device to perform image printing of a photographed image without interposing a personal computer or the like.
Heretofore, since a digital camera has a photographing section but has no printing section, image data of a photographic object is once moved to an information processor such as a personal computer, and the printing of a photographed image is then performed by a printing device (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) according to an application program or the like, which processes the image data, of the personal computer to print the photographed image.
In recent years, in order to attain easier image printing, a digital camera capable of being directly connected to the printing device and performing the printing of the photographed image without interposing the personal computer, and a system utilizing such a digital camera (hereinafter referred to as “direct printing system”) have been developed.
According to the direct printing system, information related to printing processes and functions executable by a printer is notified to the digital camera, which is connected directly with the printer, by a script file of a text format. When printing the photographed image by utilizing the direct printing system, an information notifying process for the digital camera to recognize the printing processes (printing functions) executable by the printer is performed at first. Next, the digital camera presents the printing processes executable on the printer to a user (a person who handles the printing processes) in a form of menu or the like by using a display, according to the information notified from the printer. The user then selects the desired printing processes from the printing processes presented on the display.
The printing functions included in the information notified from the printer to the digital camera are, for example, a printing size of the image, a size of a printing paper, printing quality, and a layout of the printing. Besides, there is also an index printing (which prints a thumbnail image of each image) as the printing functions by which a list of the images stored in the digital camera is printable.
In the printing processes by the digital camera, “printing control information”, in which the printing processes selected by the user of the digital camera who desires the printing are described, is generated, and the digital camera transfers the generated printing control information to the printer. The printer interprets control elements described in the received script file mentioned above to execute the printing processes. The digital camera, when transferring the script file to the printer, once stores the printing control information into a buffer memory included in the digital camera to perform such a communication process. The buffer memory here is a freely readable/rewritable nonvolatile memory.
In the digital camera of the direct printing system described above, when a large amount of photographed images is printed at once by the index printing for example, a size of the file becomes large since the control element information described in the script file increases according to the number of files of the photographed images specified by the user. Accordingly, it is possible to make an available size of the printing control information large if a capacity of the buffer memory used for the communication process is increased, so that a large amount of instructions for printing photographs can be handled at once. However, there is a limitation in a storage capacity of the buffer memory since the volume for implementing such a memory in the digital camera is limited. Due to the limitation in the storage capacity of the buffer memory, there is a limit in information on the image files describable in one printing control information as well.
Each FIG. 12A and FIG. 13A shows an example of description of printing control information for carrying out an index printing process, by which 6 photographed images are printed per page, by using a digital camera in which the number of image file names of the photographed images describable in one printing control information is 15 at maximum, due to the limitation in the transfer buffer capacity of the digital camera. Each FIG. 12B and FIG. 13B shows an example of the index printing outputted by the index printing process according to the printing control information of FIG. 12A and FIG. 13A, respectively. When the user photographs 30 images and executes the printing processes, since this exceeds the number of image file names describable in one printing control information, two printing control information such as those shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A are necessary.
Referring to FIGS. 12A and 13A, 15 image file names as objects to be printed are described in each of the printing control information represented therein. The image file names as the printing objects are those described between “<printFile>” to “</printFile>” such as RIMG001.JPG. Also, information (information from “<listLayout>” to “</listLayout>”) representing that the printing processes are performed by using the layout in which 6 images (6 frames) are printed on one page, is included in each of the printing control information.
When the printing processes according to the printing control information shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A are performed, outputs shown in FIG. 12B and FIG. 13B can be obtained. Wherein, P1 shown in FIG. 12B represents a page primarily outputted by the printing control information shown in FIG. 12A, by which images corresponding to respective first to sixth lines of the specified image files are printed. P2 is outputted secondarily by the printing control information shown in FIG. 12A by which the images corresponding to respective seventh to twelfth lines are printed, and the page P3 is outputted thereafter. It is to be noted here that, since 6 images are printed per page according to the printing layout, the images as the printing objects outputted by the printing control information in P3 are 3 images from thirteenth to fifteenth lines, and are printed according to the layout same as those of P1 and P2.
FIG. 13B shows an example of pages outputted by the printing control information shown in FIG. 13A. Referring to FIG. 13B, P4 is a page primarily outputted by the printing control information shown in FIG. 13A, by which images corresponding to respective first to sixth lines of the image file names as the printing objects are printed. Similarly, P5 is a page printed secondarily, and P6 is a page printed thirdly. As in the page P3 shown in FIG. 12B, 3 images from thirteenth to fifteenth lines of the image file names of the printing control information shown in FIG. 13A are printed in the third page (P6) according to the printing control information of FIG. 13A. These pages P4 to P6 are outputted after the page P3 shown in FIG. 12B is outputted. Hence, such a printout is obtained as if a page break process is performed between the output P3 and the output P4. Because the number of images selected is 30 and the printing layout which prints 6 images per page is used, the printing of 30 images should be possible by 5 pages of printing areas. However, the printing processes which require 6 pages are actually performed.
A cause for the generation of the page break, which is not specified by the user, is in the above-mentioned transfer buffer capacity determined by a specification of the digital camera. Obviously, a similar phenomenon is likely to happen by a receiving buffer capacity of the printer as well.
As ways to solve this problem, increasing of the transfer buffer capacity of the digital camera, and/or increasing of the receiving buffer capacity of the printer may be considered. In this case, however, the same phenomenon occurs eventually when the number of images printed at once by the user is further increased. Hence, the increasing in the buffer capacity cannot be a fundamental solution for the problem.
In order to cope with the problem, a system which, when printing control information does not arrive from the camera to the printer within a certain period of time, judges that there is no more printing control information within the divided printing control information that is to be arrived, and executes the printing processes requested by the printing control information already arrived, is developed. However, there is a drawback in such a system that this makes the time required for completing the entire printing process long since the standby time for judging the presence of the continuing information is necessary. It is also necessary to standardize the timer conditions between both the camera and the printer, so that a limitation in a system construction increases. Further disadvantage of the system is that in the event of a failure in the printing processes, the printing processes cannot be carried out normally even when the successive printing control information is received.